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Matthew 14:1-12
Recorded in Matthew 14:1-12 is the death of John the Baptist. He was put to death by Herod the tetrarch (the ruler of the region) by the request of his wife’s daughter as she was prompted by her mother to ask for John the Baptist’s head on a platter in a response to Herod to give her whatever she wanted after she danced for him on his birthday (Matthew 14:6-8). This event is also recorded in Mark 6:14-29 and in Mark 6:21-24 (HCSB) states, “Now an opportune time came on his birthday, when Herod gave a banquet for his nobles, military commanders, and the leading men of Galilee. When Herodias’s own daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, ‘Ask me whatever you want, and I’ll give it to you.’ So he swore oaths to her: ‘Whatever you ask me I will give you, up to half my kingdom.’
Then she went out and said to her mother, ‘What should I ask for?’
‘John the Baptist’s head!’ she said.”
Some scholars believe that Herodias had conspired for the opportunity to put John the Baptist to death because of his openly disapproving of the marriage of Herod to her. We may have reason to believe such an idea as the record in Mark 6 offers the words of Herod in his promise to give the girl to give her up to half his kingdom, but she, through the prompting of her mother, chose to have John the Baptist’s head delivered to her on a platter instead.
This information is recorded not to teach us of the death of John the Baptist’s death, but because of the fame of Jesus reaching the ears of Herod. Matthew 14:1 (NKJV) states, “At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus and said to his servants, ‘This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.’”
This is an example of the power of Satan at work in this world as he strives to prevent the good news (gospel) of the kingdom of heaven from being spread throughout all the earth.
A fascinating fact about this statement is that Herod, on a whim, decided that John the Baptist must have been raised from the dead in his attempt to explain the miracles of Jesus. Jesus, however, was raised from the dead in victory over sin, death, and Satan as He provided the living sacrifice to save all humanity, and the world is still yet in disbelief of this truth to life eternal. Satan will use whatever means he can to try to hide the truths about Jesus from us, but he is fighting a losing battle as Jesus has already defeated him. The Apostle Paul teaches us in Romans 6:4, 7-13 (NKJV), “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life…For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”
Dear LORD,
There is much evil in this world that Satan strives so hard to keep us from realizing and understanding Your great love for us and of the relationship that You desire to have with each of us who will put our faith in You and believe with our hearts, see with our eyes, and hear with our ears the gospel of the kingdom of heaven. You are Almighty God, and You alone are victorious. Please help us to believe in our risen Savior Jesus and the gift of life that You offer us through putting our faith in Him and asking in humble sincerity of Your forgiveness for our sins – in Christ. In Jesus name I pray, amen.